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Author Topic: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships  (Read 12591 times)

Tartiflette

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How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« on: January 04, 2017, 02:46:43 PM »

   While updating Scy I accidentally stumbled upon a weapon layout that, depending on the loadout, could lead the AI to use the ship as a broadsider, and be very competent when doing so. Now that I had a bit more time to explore further how this happened, I think I found a simple way to make AI-friendly broadside ships.

May I present to you the ORS Enlightenment, flagship of the Enlightenment-class battleships from the Outer Rim Alliance.



*Sprite and stats still WIP*

This is an upcoming high tech faction I'm making that will be exclusively composed of broadside ships.

So what is special about this weapon loadout? Well, it's the firepower repartitions between the sides coupled with the weapons overlaps:


   As you can see in the ship editor, a significant proportion of its weapons (one large and a medium) are actually directed rearward, with arcs wide enough that they can be used while broadsiding. And this is the secret: Usually when designing a broadside ship most of the firepower would be put in front and on the sides, without much overlap. The problem is that with equivalent sides, the AI cannot seems to decide which one to use, and will apathetically face the enemy until one side get damaged giving the other priority. Here is a typical example of a ship not working with the AI.
   In this configuration however, the AI will always turns to the side with which it can bring the rear weapons to bear the fastest, one could say it is an unstable design when comparing sides. Since the Autofire AI will try to turn the rear weapons one way or another, one side will always get the priority.
   With always a preferred side, the AI will constantly point it toward its target, turning around quite competently whenever weapons get disabled or the armor get compromised.

Thanks to that trick, that ship is extremely deadly in AI control, and may actually be better flown with autopilot rather than in a player's hands!

« Last Edit: January 04, 2017, 03:07:51 PM by Tartiflette »
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Darloth

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2017, 02:59:33 PM »

I apologise in advance.

This post is of much lower quality than I usually try to produce on this forum (though perhaps not on the internet in general :) ) but I feel I must ask...

Is the name of this ship (edit: Originally the ASS Enlightenment) INTENDED to be a pun?

Edit: Tartiflette ruined the fun :)
« Last Edit: January 04, 2017, 03:35:13 PM by Darloth »
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Tartiflette

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2017, 03:06:42 PM »

An unfortunate coincidence, that I decided to roll with because why the heck not. (but I should probably remove it for the sake of a serious topic)

[edit] For those wondering, the ship was prefixed Alliance Star Ship, or ASS Enlightenment of the Outer Rim Alliance... Yeah you got it! (totally not deliberate I swear!)
« Last Edit: January 05, 2017, 02:05:31 AM by Tartiflette »
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Nick XR

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2017, 03:56:34 PM »

Very cool.  I had always wondered why there isn't an AI "hint" for which side to prefer (something simple like a "Port Broadside" mod)

King Alfonzo

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2017, 05:51:10 PM »

So having a significant amount of the firepower rear-facing causes this behaviour?

Hmm...I was thinking of making a civilian (stress, CIVILIAN) ship with a rear facing large turret to annoy chasing ships if they get pursued, but if it causes broadside behaviour, it might inadvertently make a semi-decent combat ship.

Deshara

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2017, 10:10:21 PM »

oh aaaaleeex
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Tartiflette

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2017, 11:37:57 PM »

So having a significant amount of the firepower rear-facing causes this behaviour?

Hmm...I was thinking of making a civilian (stress, CIVILIAN) ship with a rear facing large turret to annoy chasing ships if they get pursued, but if it causes broadside behaviour, it might inadvertently make a semi-decent combat ship.
Beware, it is the significant proportion of rear facing firepower coupled with arcs wide enough to reach the sides that leads to this behavior. But it has been consistent with several different weapon layouts I tried, thus I'm now making a full broadside faction!  ;D
« Last Edit: January 05, 2017, 02:06:32 AM by Tartiflette »
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Takion Kasukedo

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2017, 12:15:04 AM »

Well now, this faction will be interesting.

Full on broadside ships, i'm guessing going faster sideways and backwards than forwards?
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Tartiflette

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2017, 12:18:58 AM »

Not at all. That's what makes them challenging! Otherwise it wouldn't make them any different than a faction of weird sprites turned on their side.
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Takion Kasukedo

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2017, 01:12:39 AM »

Not at all. That's what makes them challenging! Otherwise it wouldn't make them any different than a faction of weird sprites turned on their side.

Ah yes, you've got a point there. So, probably a faction with essentially Conquest-like ships (since Conquests really like to broadside, reasonably so)
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Still loves purple. Still not skilled enough to make a mod that doesn't get that one damn error.

Tartiflette

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2017, 01:45:32 AM »

Pretty much, but those ships actually broadside way better than the Conquest. And they do so with almost any loadout while many won't work with the Conquest.
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RandomnessInc

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2017, 12:49:15 PM »

Oh man, this looks awesome, you never fail to impress tart  ;D
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Tartiflette

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #12 on: January 05, 2017, 03:32:32 PM »

Here is the final sprite btw:
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Takion Kasukedo

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2017, 02:51:57 AM »

Here is the final sprite btw:


Beautiful, like perfectly crafted pyrite faces.
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Is now able to cook a decent Creamy Salmon Pasta, amok other things.

Still loves purple. Still not skilled enough to make a mod that doesn't get that one damn error.

RandomnessInc

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Re: How to make AI-friendly broadside ships
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2017, 11:35:16 AM »

Is it me or does the thing between the large mounts look like a wang?
Also, call me oblivious, but I totally just noticed the off center bridge, I looks awesome, reminiscent of an aircraft carrier, does that mean that the right and front large mounts have restricted movement because of said bridge?
« Last Edit: January 18, 2017, 11:39:15 AM by joebob1337 »
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